Quite hoppy, with a nice upfront hop twang, full of tingly spice, woody / herbal flavours, touch of salt and bitter grass ... and soap way back on the palate. Malt is sweet-ish and does a worthy job of providing some balance to the hops, but it's a one dimensional dextrin malt character ... it's only redemption being a faint toasted malt flavour and big, even body. Picked up some very faint phenols for a second. Light esters and alcohol make themselves known, but not as much as I would have liked. Finish is a bit oily, persistent and not very pleasant, eventually drying out some with some grain taste and feel.

Kind of thought this to be an mediocre, average at best, IPA. Hops are a bit out of place and the malts are uninspiring. Expected more from Goose Island. (910 characters)

Presentation: 12 oz brown twist off long neck bottle with a “Best When Consumed By” date on the back label.

Appearance: Great lacing effect down the glass with a faintly hazed amber colour, the haze is most likely from the large amount of hops this brew has in it.

Smell: Big sweet hop oil aroma, very flowery with a mildly pungent rind. A touch of malt and alcohol in the nose also.

Taste: Medium body with a moderate carbonation that adds some crispness. Flat out there is a lot of hop flavour going on, lots of fresh hop to narrow it down a bit. Bitterness from the hops in not overwhelming but it makes its mark. Again lots of fresh hop flavours, flavours that would come from dryhopping or the use of a hop back. Maltiness is solid enough and leaves a modest dry malt character that gives a quick flash of lightly toasted malt in the mild. Alcohol is present with a clean estery flavour. The finish is long, dry and certainly hoppy.

Notes: Damn good IPA to be had here, clean on the tongue with lots of hop flavour rather than going overboard with bitterness which rests at a substantial 65 IBUs. (1,125 characters)

Look: Dark golden yellow with a fluffy white head which diminishes to a nice, even foam cap and some nice lacing on the side of the glass.

Smell: Hoppy right out of the gate - the fruity aromas were noticeable during the pour, and having let the beer sit for a little bit I was getting a lovely combination of hops, resin and grapefruit aromas.

Taste: Cor blimey, the hops hit you right from the word go but at the same time they manage not to swamp the other flavours present, and there are some. There's a nice balance between hop and malt in the middle, with the hops coming through again in the finish. Surprisingly complex.

Feel: Hops up front, a nice hop/malt/fruit combo in the middle and a dry, astringent finish. I finally feel that my palate is getting used to this sort of beer.

Overall: Goose Island has been a bit hit and miss for me - on the one hand I loved their 312 Wheat beer but Honkers was a bit of a let down. This, I feel, hits the bullseye for me - for sure, there are more aggressively hopped beers out there but this is a good introduction to the more bitter side of things. (1,142 characters)

Pours a deep golden color with light to medium head that leaves some nice lacing,the aroma is somewhat grassy with a light sweet smell that lingers.First taste I get is malty and sweet but the hops come in and make this beer have a nice dryer finish.A real nicely balanced IPA,very enjoyable. (292 characters)

Update  The big biscuity hops are really the story here, but its still a well-balanced AIPA. It was nice when I had it and rated it in 2005, and this 2006 vintage is more of the same. (971 characters)

Pours a nice clear copper color with a bubbling 3 finger head that slowly falls but never departs. The nose is very nice. A balance between spicey, fruity, sweet hop and caramel malt base. I like the hop profile on this. Not too strong in any one direction, but with a lot going on in it. Flavor is not as nice as the nose. The hop is mostly spicey to a touch earthy over top a solid caramel base. Good balance, but not popping enough in the hop. It could shine, but it is a slight disappointment. The feel is moerate, with a light to moderate carbonation. The slighly light carbonation is probably from my aggressive pour. Overall, a very solid brew. (651 characters)

A tulip of deep opaque glowing orange beckons to me from beneath a quickly-fading orange-tinted head. Lacing is minimal. The boquet of this beer is damned amazing. I smell something new everytime I have one I think, but this time around I get wet grain upfront for just a second before pungent hop perfume hits me with spicy, floral, and citrus hop aroma.

Rich sugary-sweet malt hits first but is pushed out totally but a very spicy, I would almost say hot, hop that turns citrusy for just a second before going to a deep acidic bitter and a finish/aftertaste thats like licking the inside of an orange rind. Barely noticeable alcohol chimes in here and there. As you sip and the beer warms, things mellow out alot and the orange flavor comes out more with cinnemon notes. Damn.

Mouthfeel is light, slick, and vapory. The intensity of this beer along with a heavy feeling in the gut makes it hard to rate drinkability high, but I have to since I usually go for two. This beer rocks. (988 characters)

S: Big bold floral nose with a hint of citrus. Lively and invigorating. It's also a bit grassy and resiny. Just a really intense hop nasal experience.

T: Smooth and simple beer. Refreshing with a zest and grapefruit. Some caramel balance. Finish is a nice bitter bite which goes with you into a dry hoppy aftertaste.

M: It's a clean but creamy mouth. On the light side of medium body with a high side of medium carbonation which is pretty active in the mouth and adds to the refreshing nature of the drink. It is surprisingly creamy for a beer that feels thirst quenching.

D: Substantial, refreshing and poundable. Got to love that in an IPA. I originally had this as an A- but upgraded my review because I have been spending some quality time with it. A really delicious brew. (935 characters)

Pours out a nice clear golden orange with a small head that lingers only for a few minutes. Has a piney hop aroma to it along with some maltiness. Upon first sip there is a enjoyable hop flavor that tastes a bit piney as well. Pleasently bitter with warm malt undertones. Seems to be a bit lacking in body, but overall the mouthfeel is good and allows for easy drinking. After a few sips the bitterness comes through on the back of the palate a bit stronger...but not overwhelming. IPA is one of my fave styles and drinkability is high on this one...it has a solid flavor and a sixer is not too expensive...making it a good session brew. (637 characters)